What defines the term sports car and why are we so fascinated with them. Is it simply the flowing curves of the body design, the massive power output of the high revving engines or could it even be the distinctive throaty musical note of the exhaust pipes. Everyone will have a different opinion on what they think makes sports cars special and for the reasons why we love them so much. Even people who say they are impractical or unnecessary cannot help but to turn and look when one drives past displaying its beautiful contours hinting at the power hidden under the perfectly painted panels.

Since the development of motorised vehicles a small select group of individuals have always had the undying fascination of designing and building them bigger, more powerful and faster than they either needed to be or really should be with any regard to safety. This was no different with the motor car industry, from its relative simple and sluggish beginnings the car quickly developed into a very useful mode of transport and working tool. For some this new way to transport us around turned into an obsession of power and speed and welcomed the age of the racing cars and sports cars.

To begin with motor vehicles were built for more functional than aesthetically pleasing reasons and their ability to carry both people and heavy loads is what drove the designers and manufacturers forward. Humans though have an eye for beauty and a thirst for power and speed, combining these attributes the birth of the sports cars was inevitable.

As new developments occurred in the early motor industry a small number of designers, builders and drivers pushed the motor car to its limits on race tracks to test its abilities against other manufacturers vehicles. These races fuelled the next generation of cars and drivers. As engines became more powerful the ability to race these machines began to push the designs and needs to new levels this quite often was at the expense of someone’s life. Big powerful engines were placed into fragile frames and pushed to the limit often with dire consequences to drivers and spectators. But humans have a need to go faster and faster and this drove these brave and quite often reckless early pioneers to design better and more powerful machines and this began the start of the new age of the modern motor car. Safety was usually an after thought if it came up at all, the main focus was pushing the machines and drivers to their limits and beyond if possible. The engines power output quickly out grew the motor cars ability to handle these increases and the designers had to rethink the chassis and suspensions limitations. As with in the aircraft industry the designs of planes and engines regularly changed along with the abilities and reliability of the aircraft, the motor cars began to evolve along the same lines with new ideas and breakthroughs in technologies incorporating aerodynamics to help reduce drag and stronger building materials for chassis and bodywork.

Developing test vehicles purely for racing was the beginning of what we now class as the sports car. After the Second World War a new breed of sports car began to emerge. The once very high-priced and hard to obtain race bred cars that only the most wealthy and enthusiastic owners could secure began to evolve into a more accessible vehicle with the additional comforts and road functionalities, and what was even more important, a more affordable price tag making them more accessible to the average owner and driver. The sports cars had taken their first steps from the exclusive domain to main stream availability. Over the next few years as advancements were made on and off the racing circuit designs began their slow transformation into the popular modern shapes of today’s models. Many famous names have added their own distinctions to the sports car moulds and most can be easily identified by pure shape alone even today.

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About the Author:
John is a director of numerous Internet companies and is a published author. Many articles have been produced on a variety of subjects with excellent content and depth. All his articles may be reproduced provided that an active link is included to http://www.sports-muscle-cars.info

The 1992 Summer Olympics were the first to feature NBA players, and the squad from that year was known as the ‘Dream Team’. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird are just three of the legends that played on that historic and unbeatable team. Although Fantasy Baseball, Football, or even Basketball did not begin in 1992, these thrilling and interactive pastimes do carry on the tradition of that squad. By trying to assemble the best line-up of players from the game in any given year, and seeing how they would match up, fans can rearrange the leagues as they see fit and pretend to be owner, coach, and player all at once. Now, this may sound like a recipe for insanity, but it’s actually a lot of fun – and it gives you some control over the game, even if only in your head. Fantasy Baseball is one of the more popular games for people to play, and there are even draft kits to help players navigate through the draft and auction process.

A draft kit? Is assembly required?

Ouch! Now, back in the olden days, before the Internet became the venue of choice for fantasy baseball enthusiasts, you had to keep track of your teams and players with a newspaper. Plus, you had to keep in contact with the other members of your league to keep tabs on who was winning the pool. Now, the Web keeps players from around the world connected, and brings a level of intensity to Fantasy Baseball and other such leagues that was not there before. To navigate through the maze of statistics and player data, the serious fantasy fanatic needs a Fantasy Baseball starter kit to best position himself for the upcoming season.

So..I get a Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit to use on the Internet? Do I actually get anything?

This is the Information Age, my friend, and that is precisely what you are getting with your Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. Every kit is filled with “electronic candy” to fuel your dreams and propel your team to success. Analysts who live the dream of getting paid to study, breathe, and live baseball devote hours of hard work and energy to bring you:
– strategy to use during the draft and auction
– a list of potential “sleepers” who are just waiting to take their game to a
new level in the next season
– predictions about who is going to falter and fade in the coming year
– the best rookies to bring to your team
– cheat sheets filled with the must-know facts to be successful on draft
day.

Some Fantasy Baseball draft kit options include a mock draft for “newbies” to the game, and a host of other useful tips, to position you to bring home a championship – and hopefully some of that “play money” that everyone poured into a pool at the beginning of the season!

Hey look, if you like baseball, you are going to love Fantasy Baseball. Players and coaches change teams more often than lovers on some silly soap opera, so it is hard to be loyal to “traditional” teams. But, with Fantasy Baseball, you can build your own ‘Dream Team’, and bring an exciting new element to a classic game. If you are new to the process, or just want an edge for the next season, a Fantasy Baseball draft kit is just what you need.

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About the Author:
Albert Medinas has developed and maintains the website Fantasy Baseball Guide , which answers the most common questions players have about Fantasy Baseball . Please visit us at http://www.fantasybaseballguide.net today.

The father of basketball, Dr. James Naismith came up with the game in 1892 and the first game was played in Beaver Falls Pennsylvania on April 8 1893 between the New Brighton YMCA and the Geneva College.
The game was very popular and by 1914 as many as 360 colleges boasted basketball teams. In 1939, the first NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship tournament was held which was won by the University of Oregon.

The formation of Pro basketball in 1896 came about from a dispute between YMCA team members and officials and ended in the members forming a professional team that played for money. In 1898, the NBL (National Basketball League) was formed and produced the first basketball stars – Ed Wachter and Barney Sedran.

The first two professional basketball teams to achieve success were the Buffalo Germans and the Celtics but during the 1930’s favorites included the New York Renaissance and the Harlem Globetrotters. During this time, womens basketball was also popular and produced great players such as Babe Didrikson and Alline Banks Sprouse.

In 1940, the first college basketball game was shown on TV. This game was played between Pittsburgh and Fordham at Madison Square Garden, and catapulted basketball into a national sensation. Since then basketball has been one of the most watched sports and in fact the March Madness, when almost 350 American colleges compete for the NCAA basketball crown is the most watched event in the United States.

In Pro basketball during the 1940’s and 50’s the Minneapolis Lakers were a huge favorite of many winning 5 NBA championship titles and producing starts like Bob Cousy and Bob Pettit. But during the late 1950’s up until 1969, the Celtics had the court winning 11 NBA titles (8 f them right in a row). During this era favorite players included Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlin of the Philadelphia Warriors.

During 1963 to 1975 The University of California, Los Angeles was in the spotlight winning 10 national championships, including seven in a row. Some of the great players of this UCLA team include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich and Marques Johnson.

In 1967 the American Basketball Association (ABA) was formed and many will remember one of the satart players Julius Erving as well as their red white and blue basketballs. The ABA only lasted until 1976 when it broke up and many of the teams joined the NBA.

In the 1960’s, womens basketball introduced the 5 player full court format and made dribbling fully legal but it wasn’t until 1985 that the Basketball Hall of Fame began inducting woman coaches and players. Some of the first women to get this honor include Carol Blazejowski, Ann Meyers, Cheryl Miller; Nancy Lieberman-Cline and Anne Donovan.

In the late 1970’s start players like Larry Bird of Indiana State University and Michigan State Universities Magic Johnson emerged and the late 1980s saw such major players as Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman. But perhaps the most beloved player of all is Michael Jordan who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s.

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About the Author:
Lee Dobbins writes for Sports Wise where you can learn more about all your favorite sports and read more great basketball articles .

For many years, the world of sports celebrated athletes in various other competitions by inducting them into halls of fame. Baseball, basketball and football were among the most popular of these shrines, but boxing was somehow left out of the equation. Professional boxing champions have always been among the most fan-celebrated athletes in history but, until 1989, there was no permanent structure to celebrate the true legends of the sport.

The thoughts of a boxing hall of fame were first generated from a town’s love for it’s hometown boys who later went on to become the world’s champions. In 1982, Canastota, NY residents chose to honor Carmen Basilio, one-time welterweight and middleweight champion, and his nephew Billy Backus, 1970 welterweight title holder. Residents of the city raised funds for a showcase that would celebrate their love and the achievements of these two local boxing heroes.

It was this single project that sparked the enthusiasm needed to explore the possibility of creating boxing’s inaugural hall of fame and museum. In 1989, the project was completed with two dozen former boxing champions on hand. The International Boxing Hall of Fame held it’s ribbon cutting ceremony on what is a major tourist attraction to this day. One year after it’s creation, the first class of boxing legends were inducted. Among them, legendary boxing great, Muhammad Ali. Since that time, the International Boxing Hall of Fame has added an additional wing to the museum and an event pavilion, which sits adjacent to the hall. Each year, in early June, the International Boxing Hall of Fame holds it’s annual induction ceremony to highlight the four-day celebration of the sport of boxing and it’s legendary athletes.

One of the most impressive aspects of the International Boxing Hall of Fame is it’s memorabilia shop, which offers a rare opportunity for autograph collectors to own some amazing items. A certificate of authenticity is issued with each purchase. Everything from autographed boxing gloves to a post, robe or speed bag is available for purchase. One of the most popular items available for sale is The Championship Glove, which sells for $195.00. A collage of autographs, which are featured on one single red Everlast glove, includes Arguello, Basilio, Buchanan, Carbajal, Chacon, Chuvalo, Corrales, Griffith, Hagler, Danny Lopez, McGuigan, Minter, Mosley, Norris, Norton, Olivares, Pryor, Leon Spinks, Starling, Stracey, Torres and Ward. If this is out of a collector’s price range, single autographs can be purchased on an Everlast glove for $85.00 each. The Everlast boxing robe, which sells for $275.00, features 23 autographs and is available through the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s website.

Whether you are looking for the perfect vacation getaway for the boxing fanatic or you are a collector looking to add some impressive autographs to your collection, the International Boxing Hall of Fame is definitely worth your time.

For additional information or to place an order, collectors may write to: Boxing Hall of Fame, 1 Hall of Fame Drive, Canastota, NY 13032. Or, they may call 315-697-7095 or fax 315-697-5356. The International Boxing Hall of Fame can be accessed online at ibhof.com.

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Read the latest boxing news or find the new world wrestling theme and all other sports news on http://www.SportsNews24h.com

If you love college ball as much as I do, then I know you’re going to want to have all the latest gear from your favorite schools. So I recommend that you try shopping online for your official NCAA football products. With the money you save, you might even be able to attend a couple more games this season!

In addition to apparel, there are many other official NCAA football products that I can buy. For example, I like to collect sports memorabilia, and mini helmets are one of the hottest items in that area right now. Because they’re so popular, it can be hard to get your hands on one from your favorite school — if you insist on shopping at malls, that is.

I’ve never had any problems finding official NCAA football collectibles, including mini helmets, from even the most sought-after teams such as USC, Texas, and Notre Dame. Other popular collectibles include bobblehead figures of star players, mini footballs, and retro jerseys.

Along with convenience, there’s another very important reason that I choose to buy official NCAA football merchandise online: low prices. Regular stores with expensive leases and lots of employees just can’t offer the same discounted prices that online retailers can.

That means I can buy official NCAA football products whenever the mood strikes. I don’t have to wait for sales or save up my money for weeks and weeks to be able to afford what I want.

Most of my friends think the NFL is the best game in town, but I disagree. I’d take college ball over the pros any day because I prefer to watch athletes giving their maximum effort for school pride and love of the game rather than big-money contracts and shoe endorsements.

That’s why I make sure I support my favorite college teams by purchasing as much official NCAA football merchandise as I can and by attending as many games as possible.

As luck would have it, my favorite college teams are spread out all over the country. I like a couple of SEC teams, several Big 10 teams, and a few in the Pac-10. I obviously can’t go to all those different campuses whenever I want to buy fan apparel, so I shop for my official NCAA football gear online.

There are many sporting goods websites out there that are really involved in the college scene and offer a wide selection of products to choose from.

I definitely can’t get this kind of convenience at the local mall! So no matter what kind of official NCAA football items I need, I know I can get them all from a single website.

For example, I can purchase an authentic UCLA jersey, Wisconsin Badgers hoody, LSU jacket, and Florida State hat in one order from one website, and I can do all of this without even getting out of my chair. I can’t think of an easier way to buy official NCAA football apparel than that!

NFL football betting is by far the most popular area of the gaming industry. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the new bettor with the different aspects of NFL football betting . With that in mind, we’ll stick with the basic elements you’ll need to know.

Normally, when betting against a point spread, you bet $110 to win $100. This is shown as – 110. The extra $10 is known as the “vig” or the “juice”. There are sports books out there that offer specials, such as “reduced juice” (- 105, for example). – 105 would mean that you’d be betting only $105 to win $100.

NFL football betting involves a betting line, also known as a point spread. For example, let’s say Miami is playing against Buffalo. Miami is listed as – 7, which means Miami is the favorite. Buffalo would then be listed as + 7, which makes them the underdog. If you place a bet on Miami at – 7, then Miami must win the game by more than seven points in order for you to win your bet. If you place a bet on Buffalo at + 7, then Buffalo must either win the game or lose by less than seven points in order for you to win your bet. If Miami wins by exactly seven points, then the game is a “push” or “no action” and everyone who wagered on one of the teams gets back their original wager amount.

You can certainly see where there would be much more opportunity to win by betting on Buffalo, since they don’t even have to win the game in order for you to win your wager. If you bet on Miami, on the other hand, they could win the game and you could still lose your wager if they do not win by more than seven. This is why many NFL football betting experts wager on nothing but underdogs.

You may also see a Total listed for the game. For this example, let’s say there is a Total listed at 43. The total is the number of combined points scored by both teams in the game. If you think the two teams will combine to score more than the posted total of 43, then you would wager “Over the Total”. If you think the two teams will combine to score less than the posted total of 43, then you would wager “Under the Total”. If the total score ends up being exactly 43, then the total is a “push” or “no action” and everyone who wagered on the total gets back their original wager amount.

For this example, let’s say Miami won the game, 27 – 17. If you placed a bet on Miami at – 7, you’d subtract seven points from Miami’s score, making it Miami 20, Buffalo 17. If you placed a bet on Buffalo at + 7, you’d add seven points to Buffalo’s score, making it Miami 27, Buffalo 24. Either way, anyone who wagered on Miami won and anyone who wagered on Buffalo lost.

The actual final score of the game was Miami 27, Buffalo 17. That’s a total of 44 points. The posted total line was 43. So, bettors who wagered on “Over the Total” won their bets since 44 is over, or higher than, 43. Bettors who wagered “Under the Total” lost their wagers.

Those are the basics. I hope the examples above helped those of you who are new to the world of NFL football betting. You’re now ready to begin your own NFL football betting . Good luck.

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About the Author:
Dwayne Bryant is the owner and sports handicapper of Bullseye Sports Handicapping Service. Dwayne has been handicapping since the mid-1980s. Online since 2000, Bullseye Sports provides sports picks, including NFL and college football picks , NBA & NCAA basketball picks, MLB baseball picks and NHL hockey picks. Please visit www.bullseye-sports.com for more information.

It should come as no surprise that some of the most expensive golf clubs in the country are found in and around Las Vegas. It’s just not as easy as you might think to keep a lush green in the middle of a desert! That said, many private golf courses in the area don’t even list rates, so one can only guess how steep the rates actually are. But there are still a number of private and public courses where you can go and play a great round of golf – and still leave the green with some greenbacks in your wallet.

I lost at blackjack last night but I still have $50 left…can I play golf, or should I just head over to the slot machines instead?

Well, I guess that all depends on just how lucky you feel. But if you are tired of giving the casinos all of your money, and want to take advantage of the great golf courses Las Vegas has to offer, then you are in luck…maybe. A growing concern for those wanting to play on the golf courses in the Las Vegas area is the fluctuating rates. Hey, we’re all used to rates changing due to seasons, lighting conditions, reservations…the works. But some of the golf courses in Las Vegas have divided the seasons up in ever-more-imaginative ways, that seem to try and squeeze every last possible dollar out of the green. However (and this is subject to change, so DEFINITELY try to book some green time as far in advance as possible), the following golf courses can be played for $50 or less: Craig Ranch, Los Prados, and Eagle Crest.

I managed to escape the casinos with $100…golf anyone?

If you have been able to squirrel away a Ben Franklin, then a lot of the golf courses Las Vegas offers will gladly put you on the green. Now again, the rates at some golf courses are changing by the day, it seems – so be sure to check before showing up with only Ben. Those officially posting fees of $100 or less during the winter months are: Desert Rose, Las Vegas Golf Club, Painted Desert, Highland Falls, Palm Valley, Las Vegas National Golf Club, and the Rhodes Ranch. Oh, and for those not “in the know”, rates tend to be higher for golf courses in Las Vegas during the winter months, as the heat can be downright brutal during the summer. Oh yeah, Las Vegas is in the middle of a big desert, isn’t it?

I really need to stretch my golfing funds as much as possible…what options do I have?

No worries, my friend – sometimes the cards just aren’t rolling. You can save anywhere from $5-15 by walking golf courses instead of driving the carts. Not a great option during the heat of the summer months, but an option that can help stretch the dollar a little farther.

Twilight rates are another way to save money, but they can be very confusing. What is most confusing about the golf courses Las Vegas has to offer is that their twilight rates are not necessarily offered in the dying light. During the summer months, and due to the extreme heat, twilight hours tend to start in the late morning and early afternoon. In the winter, however, twilight hours occur at the end of the day, and it is not uncommon for golfers to not get in an entire 18 holes.

While Las Vegas does have many exclusive golf clubs, with prices so steep that they refuse to post them, there are a number of reasonably priced golf courses that offer some great greens at prices even the worst of gamblers can afford. Plus, if you are wise and plan accordingly, you can get those low prices even lower – and maybe even get in another round of golf to keep your mind off those lousy cards for a few hours longer! After a great round on the green, I can promise you that you will not leave Las Vegas feeling like a “loser” – even if your wallet tells you otherwise.

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About the Author:
Albert Medinas has developed and maintains the website Best Golf Courses , which answers the most common questions players have about Golf Courses . Please visit us at http://www.bestgolfcourses.net today.